Guitar Gear

I’m like many of my guitar compatriots and hang out on gear forums. I’m not nearly as active as I used to be, but I still enjoy reading and occasionally responding to forum posts.

One thing that I’ve seen a lot in the forums of goes something like this:

Please help me choose a guitar. I have a $500 budget.

Now look, I’m not one to ever put anyone down. That’s for cretins who have nothing better to do. But I will say this: Replying to requests like this is a time sink. Why? Simply because if you answer with your own suggestion, someone else will invariably debate you.

Then another person will swoop in with, “If you spend a couple of hundred dollars more, you could get this.”

By the time all the discussion simmers down, the original poster’s head will probably have fallen off from all the twisting!

Okay, I have to admit that I made the mistake of making a similar request a long time ago. I have since learned my lesson. And if you’re tempted to do the same, all I can say is: Don’t do it! 🙂

A better solution is to get your ass down to a local guitar shop like Guitar Center and play a shitload of guitars in your price range. Don’t worry, they’ll have many. You should be able to make the decision on your own!

The problem with making a request like this on the forums is that no one knows what style you play. No one knows a whit about your experience, and no one knows what your ideal sound is no matter how much you try to qualify what you’re after.

Also, beware of those who offer advice on gear selections. For all you know, they could just be some wanker who’s giving you advice based on advice they’re passing on from someone else. I’ve seen a lot of that shit, especially when people hype gear like the Klon pedal or Dumble amp clones.

So really, you don’t need help buying a guitar. No one is more knowledgeable about what you need than you. Just take the time to familiarize yourself and you’ll be golden! And as a reader said, get what inspires you!